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Great news today - 2012 Toyota Prius PHV to get selectable EV mode, full battery regeneration

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by freedom45, Jun 15, 2011.

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  1. rebenson

    rebenson Member

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    Oh, wouldn't that be a nice add-on...:laser:
     
    #41 rebenson, Jun 17, 2011
  2. drash

    drash Senior Member

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    Red for 2 bars or less, Blue for up to 6 bars and green for the last 2 bars. But all the bars displayed the same color, so if you hit 7 bars all the bars would turn green.
     
    #42 drash, Jun 17, 2011
  3. WE0H

    WE0H Senior Member

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    It was weird looking. I have never seen it again. I always watch the battery meter and that time I was like Wth is that :confused:

    Mike :p
     
    #43 WE0H, Jun 17, 2011
  4. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    It would for those that lived in hilly area. If I had a PHV 3 years ago, I may have been able to max out the battery on the downhill slope after work and use it for another 14 miles. On the Gen 2, I maxed out at 8 bars (even with 2 bars heading over the crest) ~ halfway down the hill. Then it revs up, even in D, to engine brake. The worse thing is that there are houses there and a sign that says don't engine brake. :unsure:

    Only on the Gen 2. The Gen 3 makes do with that monochrome battery scheme. It makes it harder to see the battery stage at a glance.
     
    #44 Tideland Prius, Jun 17, 2011
  5. WE0H

    WE0H Senior Member

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    So that would have been one of those 2009 Prii I was driving last year ;)

    Mike
     
    #45 WE0H, Jun 18, 2011
  6. andyprius

    andyprius Senior Member

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    IF: Tony Schaefer got 83mpg AFTER the Li-ion was depleted, what is going to be possible with the 2012 EV Select and LI-ion charge capability? It's mind boggeling!:D
     
    #46 andyprius, Jun 18, 2011
  7. Analogkid1958

    Analogkid1958 Member

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    This makes it more like a Volt...hmm.

    Nice!
     
    #47 Analogkid1958, Jun 18, 2011
  8. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    Volt doesn't offer that option, nor does it take advantage of all the "hybrid" opportunities available.

    You'll find the flexibility of a power-split design to be a best-of-both-worlds approach.
    .
     
    #48 john1701a, Jun 18, 2011
    1 person likes this.
  9. gwmort

    gwmort Active Member

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    I'll agree it doesn't take full advantage of all the "hybrid" opportunities available (I'd like a switch to turn off EV mode sometimes during the AER).

    However I am curious what you mean by "that option", if it is the ability to not dump excess regen as heat, then I believe you are incorrect, there is no preset cap on regen to the battery.
     
    #49 gwmort, Jun 18, 2011
  10. cashcorn

    cashcorn New Member

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    EV button is great. However, I still only see 13 miles on full EV mode. Regeneration to EV mode (my guess) 10% at best = 1.3 miles. What's the big fuss? What am I missing?
     
    #50 cashcorn, Jun 18, 2011
  11. gwmort

    gwmort Active Member

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    Apparently the gen I, test mule, or pre-production version of the PHV had multiple small battery packs and you couldn't get regen charge back into ones that were dedicated to EV mode (first 2 of 3 I believe) once they were depleted. So there was potential that if you had a whole lot of regen you could conceivably fill the 3rd pack and then need to dump the regen energy rather than store it in the first two (which would be depleted at that time).
     
    #51 gwmort, Jun 18, 2011
  12. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    It was a reference to having an EV button.
    .
     
    #52 john1701a, Jun 18, 2011
  13. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    To add to gwmort's response, it also allows the driver to decide whether to hold off EV driving until later.

    For example, if someone has a quick freeway jaunt then in-cty driving during the latter part of the commute, the driver would want to have the engine run during the highway section and then go back to C-D mode once they're in the city. In the current prototype, the car would run in EV (up to 62mph) and depending on how long your freeway jaunt is, you may end up driving the city portion in C-S mode instead.
     
    #53 Tideland Prius, Jun 18, 2011
  14. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    The flexity of when to use gas or electric and letting the driver decide is going to add the fun factor. It will just add another dimension to the "game".

    I was thinking about BEV... You can't P&G to gain efficiency. You have one engine and it may get boring after awhile. Just a thought...
     
    #54 usbseawolf2000, Jun 19, 2011
  15. gwmort

    gwmort Active Member

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    My Gen I prius never had an EV button,I take it the idea is to be able to over-ride the normal algorithm to force the car to deplete the battery rather than choose to burn gas (at least that is my understanding of the way it works in conventional prii now).

    Seems like what we are discussing here is the opposite, sort of an ICE button that could override the algorithm to stop the car from depleting the battery and choose to burn gas instead. Do we have any confirmation yet on how it will work in the PHV or just the release that it will have an EV button?
     
    #55 gwmort, Jun 19, 2011
  16. coach81

    coach81 Active Member

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    I have to admit.. this is very interesting news....
     
    #56 coach81, Jun 19, 2011
  17. Sergiospl

    Sergiospl Senior Member

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    From Toyota in the News!
    I don't know if I can call this website official. But I am only hoping that "soon become available" is the end of this year since I will no longer be able to extend my lease.

    2012 Toyota Prius PHEV To Have Selectable EV Mode | Toyota in the News
     
    #57 Sergiospl, Jun 19, 2011
  18. adric22

    adric22 Ev and Hybrid Enthusiast

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    Hm. The whole regen thing is just not an issue for me. The regular prius has the size of battery it has because the designers realized how much regen the typical driver would need. Unless you are driving down a mountain or something, you shouldn't need more regen than that. So the regen of the prototype which only charges the hybrid battery and not the PHEV battery was fine with me.

    The EV button, on the other hand, I think is a big deal. Even though it isn't necessary, it makes the car easier to comprehend to people who aren't familiar with hybrids or PHEVs. When they see that there is a button for EV mode, it just makes sense in their minds. I also would like to have the choice myself whether I want to drive with gas or electricity. There are times that I know things the car doesn't know.
     
    #58 adric22, Jun 22, 2011
  19. inventor00

    inventor00 Active Member

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    So I wonder WHEN and WHERE the " which we learned will be unveiled to the public this September at an event in California" will be ????

    How about OC or LA and invite us with the OC Prius Club??? Grin...
     
    #59 inventor00, Jul 1, 2011
  20. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    I guess you haven't lived in terrain where it matters.

    When I lived in CA, I never triggered my Prius basically putting itself in B mode (ICE spinning up because the HV battery got too full) in my commutes.

    Where I live now, I frequently hit this and my area isn't mountainous at all. There's a somewhat long downhill stretch on the way home. I can see this behavior when SoC hits somewhere above 70%. ICE fires up and can go into the 3000+ rpm range even though I'm well below 41 mph.
     
    #60 cwerdna, Jul 1, 2011
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